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EU: Prum Treaty updates

01 February 2007

We previously reported that there were two draft Council Decisions to transpose parts of the Prum Treaty into EU law. One of these (Schengen-related) has now been dropped, that on "improving cooperation on request": Draft Council Decision on improving cooperation on request (as it is now said to be already covered by the adopted Framework Decision, 960/2006/JHA of 18.12.06). The second, a draft Council Decision on cross-border cooperation, has now been formally proposed: Draft Council Decision on cross-border cooperation (pdf) (previous draft: Council Decision on the stepping up of cross-border cooperation, particularly in combating terrorism and cross-border crime) This second Decision is a "third pillar" measure coming under the Treaty on the European Union (TEU).

A Council Presidency Note (5.2.07): EU doc no: 6003/07 indicates that no view has yet been taken whether to propose a "first pillar" Decision covering immigration and asylum matters.

The Presidency Note however is quite adamant that the "technical implementation of the provisions", adopted by the seven Prum member states, "must remain unchanged" - in other words the 20 other governments have to accept every "dot and comma" of the implementation Annex (145 pages, see below)

Integration of the Prum Treaty into the Union Legal Order (EU doc no: 6220/07)

The Prum Convention was adopted by seven member states in May 2005 (Belgium, Germany, Spain, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Austria): Prum Treaty (full-text, pdf). This has now been supplemented by (in true Schengen fashion) with: Administrative and technical implementing Agreement to the Prüm Convention (16 pages, pdf) ANNEX to Administrative and technical implementing Agreement to the Prüm Convention (145 pages, pdf)